1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a room lamp assembly or the like equipped in the room of an automobile such as a room lamp assembly at the center of the ceiling of the automobile, a map lamp assembly equipped in front of the driver's seat, or a reading lamp assembly above the back seat and relates to a automotive room lamp assembly which enables to adapt to various design modifications by sharing a particular part and facilitate the cost reduction.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art automotive room lamp assembly 1 which is to be mounted onto the ceiling of a vehicle, in which a housing 11 and a transparent or translucent lens 12 are combined into a automotive room lamp assembly. Said housing 11 has a periphery 11 defining an opening therein, said periphery being adapted to be engaged with an inner periphery 21 of an opening in a lining 2 of the ceiling at the time of fitting work.
Further, a lamp 13 is mounted to the inside of the recess 11b in the housing 11 while a switch 14 is mounted to the top thereof. Then, said lens 12 is sized to sufficiently cover the recess 11b in said housing 11. Said lens 12 has lugs 12a formed in opposite sides thereof to be fit into holes 11c formed in the housing 11.
Next, a mounting procedure thereof onto the ceiling of the vehicle will be explained. A mounting metal member 3 is inserted between a lining 2 and a steel roof to be secured by a screw 32 such that the lining 2 is sandwiched by the housing 1 and by fixedly engaging said lens 12 onto the housing 11, the room lamp assembly is secured onto the lining 2.
In this connection, the automotive room lamp assembly varies in sizes depending on the type of vehicles such as large or small cars or the like. In general, for example, a large room lamp assembly is used for a large vehicle. However, it is common that a deluxe car uses a large room lamp assembly regardless of the size thereof.
Therefore, with the conventional automotive room lamp assembly, it is required to design and manufacture various types in accordance with different vehicle models including large or small ones. As a result, small lot production which can entail cost increase for the manufacture thereof is needed. Further, the inventory cost is boosted because various parts used for the respective types must be stored.